Loved by a Duke by Christi Caldwell Review

May 6, 2015

For ten years, Lady Daisy Meadows has been in love with Auric, the Duke
of Crawford. Ever since his gallant rescue years earlier, Daisy knew she
was destined to be his Duchess. Unfortunately, Auric sees her as his
best friend's sister and nothing more. But perhaps, if she can manage to
find the fabled heart of a duke pendant, she will win over the heart of
her duke.

Auric, the Duke of Crawford enjoys Daisy's company. The last thing
he is interested in however, is pursuing a romance with a woman he’s
known since she was in leading strings. This season, Daisy is turning up
in the oddest places and he cannot help but notice that she is no
longer a girl. But Auric wouldn’t do something as foolhardy as to fall
in love with Daisy. He couldn’t. Not with the guilt he carries over his
past sins... Not when he has no right to her heart...But perhaps, just
perhaps, she can forgive the past and trust that he’d forever cherish
her heart—but will she let him?

I am
going to start this review by telling you that this story does end with a
Happily Ever After. I feel it is important that you know that up front as
Christi Caldwell book Loved by a Duke takes you through every emotion you have,
from light hearted laughter to such grief where you ugly cry (at least I did),
that even a week after reading it, I still feel each emotion clearly.

So we
are going to continue on with the stars of this book.

Lionel
is one of the main characters of this book, but yet…he is dead.

Auric
is a man of pride, responsibility…and guilt. He takes responsibility for his friend’s
death and the guilt for his friends’ family.

Daisy
is Lionel’s sister and is secretly in love with Auric

Marcus
is/was Auric and Lionel’s friend and was there the night that Lionel died and
he truly becomes the savor of this story.

So now
you know really the characters and really part of the story. But this book is
so much more; this story is not only about love, but about acceptance and grief.
For me, the worst and best part of this book is when Daisy is in Lionel’s room,
saying goodbye. I seriously ugly cried then and I am tearing up just thinking
about it. But there are also so many other parts of this book that truly more
me, but that one scene, had me sobbing like I had lost my own brother.

I am
constantly amazing at just how much Christi Caldwell’s books blow my mind, I
think I wax lyrical about just how much I love her book, but also that, that
book is the best one ever written. Well I was wrong, as THIS book is the best
one she has ever written and to be perfectly honest, I don’t think any story
will ever beat it.

So now
it comes to the scoring, which is the easiest part of this whole review and
also the only time I am not crying. Loved by a Duke earns 10 out of 10.

USA Today Bestselling author, Christi Caldwell blames Judith
McNaught's "Whitney, My Love," for luring her into the world of
historical romance. While sitting in her graduate school apartment at
the University of Connecticut, Christi decided to set aside her notes
and try her hand at writing romance. She believes the most perfect
heroes and heroines have imperfections and she rather enjoys tormenting
them before crafting a well-deserved happily ever after!

Christi
makes her home in Southern Connecticut where she spends her time
writing, chasing around her feisty six-year old son and caring for her
twin princesses in training!